Hunting a Shark, Raising Anchor pt 1
by SnigePippi
Summary: Tashigi tries to engage Zoro in a fight but finds herself helping him against bounty hunters. She ends up in the infirmary of the Thousand Sunny. Luffy promises to let her go at next harbor, but she could also to join his crew. complete
1. Playing Pirates and Marines

**Hunting a Shark.**

I have no rights to One Piece. It belongs to the wonderful Oda Eiichiro, who's got a hilarious humor and some mean drawing Skillz!

A/N This is my first written fanfic. It is number one of an installment of five stories in the Raising Anchor series.

English is not my first language, so some of the phrases may be a little weird. Many thanks to my Beta **Death by manga, **who have removed the worst spelling and grammar mistakes :)

* * *

**The Usual Animal Note:**

Oda Eiichiro comments himself that Roronoa Zoro resembles a **shark**.

Looking at different shark species I believe it must be the_ Galeocerdo cuvier, _the Tiger Shark, in Japanese Itachizame.

Its name derives from the dark stripes down its body, which resemble a tiger's pattern and fade as the shark matures. It is found in many tropical and temperate oceans, and is especially common around central Pacific islands. The tiger shark is a solitary, mostly night-time hunter. Its diet involves a wide range of prey, including fish, seals, birds, smaller sharks, squid, turtles, sea snakes, and dolphins. While the tiger shark is considered to be one of the sharks most dangerous to humans, the attack rate is surprisingly low according to researchers. Despite their sluggish appearance, tiger sharks are one of the strongest swimmers of the carcharhinid sharks. Once the shark has come close, a speed burst allows it to reach the intended prey before it can escape.

The tiger shark is a near threatened species.

* * *

**Playing Pirates and Marines**

Ensign Tashigi of the Marine walked peacefully down the street feeling slightly off walking on firm ground after a month on water. Pistaciotown on SuckerIce island was friendly with no unusual habits unless you counted their tendency to paint everything in green and pink pastels, and mainly proud of their skilled Ice Cream vendors. She considered staying a couple of days to finish her back load of paperwork and maybe taste the grasshopper-honey appelberry dish, if she dared. The dish was claimed to be the best ice cream in the world, but you shouldn't eat anything else for 24 hours afterward.

The time was somewhat near lunch. She squinted at the glittering clock at the tower of the Town Hall. Yeah, certainly near lunchtime. She turned around to head back to a small restaurant she noticed on her way and bumped straight into someone.

'I'm so sorry I didn't…You!''

She recognized the person standing in front of her and started fumbling for Shigure. Tashigi hadn't seen him for a long time and he was wearing some different cloths and had gathered even more scars, but it was the same green hair the same constant scowl and three swords. He seem to recognize her in the same instant and looked severely displeased.

'Roronoa Zoro!' She exclaimed. 'In the name of justice, I arrest and challenge you!'

His scowl depended and he just crossed his arms. 'I'm not going to fight you.' He stated. 'Go away!'

She felt her hand shake slightly and steadied her sword with her will. Pointing the blade at him she sneered. 'What is it Swordsman, won't you fight me 'cause I'm a girl or don't you dare knowing I've gotten better?'

He looked her in the eyes and hissed through his teeth. 'I don't care about your size, gender, species or you ability to fly or not. I won't fight you. I'm heading back to our ship anyway. Now scat!' The he turned his back to her and started wandering further into the city.

She gaped for a whole half minute. ' What an arrogant bastard,' she gasped. Then the she started running after him.

What to do, what to do she replied to herself. Get him, fight him, claim his swords and then turn him in to the Marines, but how if he won't even look at me! Can I beat him? Of course, Justice is on my side. Where is he now? That self-centered green-haired, that… that pirate.

She stopped, he'd been right in front of her but now she couldn't see him. She turned around, spotted something green in a small alley and turned that way.

She stopped in her tracks when she entered the alley. Roronoa was standing with one sword drawn, in front of him where five lowlifes, looking like the kind of nasty lowlife living in alleys. She stopped and drew her sword again. 'Roronoa Zoro, you're wanted by the Marine and the World Government. Do not try to avoid arrest!'

The second highest lowlife, the one in the middle with metal plates on each cheek, started to gurgle like something slimy was in this throat, she realized he was chuckling.

'Yes,' he lisped, ' Former Pirate Hunter Zoro, now the hunted for the 120.000.000 beri on his head. ' He gurgled again. 'Isn't it beautiful! Now get him, boys!'

The four other lowlifes joined the gurgling and drew various sharp or pointy objects.

Tashigi drew her sword again, drew a deep breath and strode in between the opponents. 'I'm sorry, but this man has already been arrested by the Marine, please go in peace and leave this to me.'

The lowlifes looked dumfound at her for a few moments then broke into a gurgling roar of laughter. The leader with metal cheeks sniffled and gave her a lewd smile. 'Sorry little lady.' He lisped at her, 'But we simply can't take that offer. And I'm sorry that we properly have to kill you so you wont lay claim on our bounty!' The lowlifes charged as one person!

Tashigi felt a hard grip on her left arm, then she was thrown backwards into a stash of barrels. Roronoa send her one glare and commanded. 'Get away. Now!' Then he threw himself into the fight and stopped all the charging lowlifes' weapons at once. Everybody stopped, locked by the weapons. Then the fight continued with increasing speed.

Tashigi got up and spotted Shigure a few paces away, close to the fighting lowlifes. Swiftly she went for her sword, ducking both an ax and a saw-looking saber and got her hand on her blade. Just in time she raised the blade to block an incoming blow and she rolled away from a spiked boot. She got to her feet and tuned towards Mr. Metal-plates. And started a fierce offensive.

'I told you to get away!' she heard Roronoa yell after her. She ignored the swordsman and concentrated on Mr. Metal plate.

'Attacking an officer of the Marine is a severe offense.' She told Metal-plates while cutting at his silly spiked vest and herself getting under his unskilled slashes. She smiled grimly. Lowlife bounty hunters couldn't compare themselves with a trained swordswoman of the Marine. She saw an opening and went for it. Suddenly Mr. Metal plate smiled wicked and she felt something burning across her back. She jumped sideways as the Metal plate roared and flung his saber towards her. Somehow he got her with a cut on the inside of her left thigh. Piercing flames shot up along her spine and she fell down. Everything slowed down. She was painfully aware of the drumming of her own heartbeat in her ears. Looking down she saw arterial red blood covering her lower parts and pulsing out from a gaping wound.

The heartbeat, the pulsing blood. It was almost beautiful. A little voice kept yelling Oh shit oh shit oh shit, in the back of her head.

There was a growl from behind her. Even deeper than anything she'd heard from the lowlife gang. Someone shouted something…about food? Or demons? She looked slowly around, but she couldn't see any of her enemies nearby.

Pain sprang through her leg again and suddenly time started. She saw Roronoa bowed over her. He was shirtless and grim and working very fast.

'Hey! Can you hear me?'

He had been talking to her. 'Hmm?' She mumbled.

'Listen, I used your sword as press for the tourniquet. Hold on to it!' He placed her hands around something; she smiled as she recognized the homely feel of Shigure.

'This is the best I can do, I'll get you to Chopper as fast as possible. Here, hold these too.' More swords landed in her arms. Then she was elevated and everything felt like she was swimming through air. She frowned.

'Marine quarter?' She asked and looked around the busy street. People were staring. It was probably the blood.

'No way. I'm not going to the Marine. Do they have a doctor anyway?'

No, the thought, or did she say it? Properly no doctor at this town's small Marine office. Something was wrong though.

'Left' she was sure she actually said it this time. She tried again to be sure. 'The harbor. Left.' She was turned in the right direction. She had to correct the direction twice. Maybe more. The yelling of her own heartbeat was getting louder and her hands were colder than anything she ever felt. She smelled the ocean and somehow she was sure that someone was running. Don't they say that you black out she wondered. Why's everything getting white? Then everything was a blur.

'Here, help her!' someone yelled. Then a shrill female voice was shouting about having to set sail.

She woke but only half, feeling the soft movements of a sailing ship and looking into soft brown eyes in a face with antlers? 'She's lost a lot of blood,' the face said. In the background someone moved. 'I can spare a few pints.' A deeper voice answered.

Then everything went black.


	2. Walking out the Sunny

**Walking out the Sunny.**

Tashigi woke because she was thirsty and really needed to pee. It shouldn't be possible to have two so different urges at the same time. Her body rejoiced in the soft, soft bed, and she really could do with more sleep. But nature was more demanding. Groggily she pulled herself off the seductive linens and got a look at herself. Someone had put her in a simple nightgown and under that she was covered in plenty bandages. She wrapped the blanket around her anyway and started a search for something like a toilet. Luckily there was one behind the second door she tried.

She didn't know where she was, but it smelled like an infirmary. She pondered if she should search for her glasses or just try to find her way to a place with water. A door opened and something moved outside her vision range. Something very short.

'Eh. Hi little one.' She smiled at the intruder. 'Could you tell me where I am? And maybe get me something to drink?'

The shape was trembling, or maybe it were her lack of glasses. Then a sweet voice said.

'I'm your doctor, please let me get a look at you, then well see what to do.'

She sat down on the bed and the small brown doctor with antlers took her pulse and looked into her eyes.

'You're looking fine, but you should still rest. I hope you'll rest as long as I tell you! Unlike the others.' The furry doctor stated mixing something in a bowl.

'It's a nice weather. I'll be good for you to get outside and get some air. I have them make a sickbed for you and then you'll get soup and fruit juices. We need to replenish both your liquids and electrolytes.'

Tashigi smiled nervously. An examination by a small animal with hoofs was a little unnerving. 'Thank you very much. Um, but still, where am I, and do you have my glasses?' The fury doctor jumped over to the other end of the room and hurried back and placed her glasses in her hands.

'You're at the Thousand Sunny sailing towards the next island. I'm Tony Tony Chopper, the doctor of the Straw Hat Crew!'

Tashigi blanched. A pirate ship! She had feared this. Roronoa had dragged her on board, got her to a doctor. A pirate doctor.

Shit!

* * *

Shortly after she was tucked in on a mountain of pillows and with many blankets on the stern of the deck, while the blond cook was exclaiming about her cuteness and beauty while trying to find out whether she preferred his orange-mango-shumfruit juice compared to his strawberry-pinkfinkfruit-vanilla creation. A skeleton with an afro was playing a soft tune on a flute, claiming it to be an old healing melody used among sailors. The skeleton seemed nice, even if he'd asked twice to see her panties.

It was the little doctor who had changed into a much bigger shape explaining something about a Devil fruit, that had carried her and she was thankful for that. The cook acted very nice, but his eyes were a little too fixed on her breasts. And the skeleton was just plain weird. But everything else were fine.

I'm on board on one of the currently most wanted pirate ships, and the crew just seems to have adopted me, she mused. And Black-Leg Sanji, wanted for extreme destruction and worth more than 70.000.000 beri just wants me to like his homemade juice!

The Straw Hat Luffy was reclining on the figurehead looking towards the horizon and the rest of the crew was playing a card game or busying themselves with their own antics. Luckily she couldn't see Roronoa anywhere.

She dozed for a while, but woke up when someone was japing her nose. Her whole world suddenly consisted of a big grin and a straw hat.

'You're awake? Cool. How's it being a Marine? D'you get any meat and sake at all?'

He didn't seem to either mock her or having an agenda, just genuinely curious.

She smiled weakly, 'Well, the pay is low and the paperwork is terrible, but I guess the food is OK and I get to see the world and do some good.'

'Sounds boring. I'm glad I never became Marine' The Straw hat yawned, 'Why don't you become a pirate instead? You get good food and can do good, but you don't have to work with any papers.' He got away from her face and grinned again.

'Why don't you join my Crew? Zoro says you know everything about old swords and treasures and stuff?'

'She's not joining our crew!' It was Roronoa voice behind Straw Hat Luffy. 'She's getting off in the next harbor!'

The swordsman gave her a scowling look over.

'You survived.' He stated. 'Don't interfere in my fights another time!'

Tashigi felt her blood crawling towards her face and retorted angrily 'It was as much my fight as yours! They attacked me as well!'

'I told you to stay away.' Roronoa bit her off and turned his back to Tashigi and Straw Hat Luffy. 'Nami believes we're on the next island in six days,' he continued. 'Do not get in my way while you're here.'

'Dinner!' the cook yelled from inside the ship. The Straw Hat turned back to her and grinned again. 'Coming?' he asked and picked her up before she could answer. 'I still think you should join us!' he said. 'We could use someone who knows 'bout what's going on.' Then he carried her to a dining table where the menu was something in between a High Class Seven Course menu and a food fight.

* * *

The next two days she did everything Chopper, the reindeer Doctor said. He seemed ecstatic by her manageability and claimed she was the best patient he'd ever had. Looking at the other members of the Straw Hat Crew, she could guess why.

Tashgi had a few pleasant talks about old swords, art and history with Nico Robin. Robin for her side seem to enjoy another more grown up girl, her being the oldest member of the crew and certainly the most composed. Luffy tried a few more times to talk Tashigi into joining, them as a pirate, strongly opposed by Roronoa if he was nearby. She did her best tried to ignore them both.

The third day Chopper removed most of her bandages and gave her leave to do as she pleased. 'Uh, can I start swords training? And where is my sword?' She asked Chopper. Chopper was making some strange smelling pills and looked worried around the infirmary.

'Uh… well, it was covered in blood. I think Zoro said he'd take care of it. It's properly in the gym. Up in the crows nest.'

The thought of Roronoa messing with her Shigure made her skin crawl. On the other hand, if nobody had taken care of if, it would be in a bad shape by know.

As she entered the crows nest she decided to be thankful if he'd taken care of her sword, and not to mention it if he hadn't.

The green-haired Swordsman was working with weights as she got inside. He looked up and scowled at her.

'What are you doing here? Get out!'

She clenched her fists and took a deep breath and reminded herself not to expect manners from pirates.

'Chopper said you have my sword. Where is it?' He looked at her for too long, then he pointed at a wall to her right.

She looked, several swords was hanging there, underneath them was a table with a few of the most necessary tools for blade maintenance and there was her Shigure. She looked her sword over. It was in perfect shape and newly sharpened.

She clutched her sword to her and turned to the other swordsman. He had resumed his weightlifting and ignored her.

'Um…thank you for taking care of Shigure.' She said.

'It's a nice blade, now get out.'

She gaped for a moment then she huffed and got down, only casting a single glance after the nice swords on the wall.

She trained on the deck. Slowly shifting from stance to stance. Moving arms and feet in a choreographed dance with her sword. After two hours work her arms were shaking and she said down with Robin and Chopper, both were reading in the shadow of the mast.

Only seconds after she'd at down, Black-Legged Sanji had placed a cordial in front of both her and Robin beaming as if it was the most refined piece of art. They both thanked him and sent him back to the kitchen.

'Why don't you use the gym for your rehabilitation and exercises?' Robin asked.

'In the Gym with that?' Tashigi retorted dryly nodding towards Roronoa who was getting down from the Crows nest.

Robin smiled with a hand in front of her mouth.

'He's working very hard on being intimidating most times, but he wouldn't go to extremes to get you out of the way!' Robin said. 'You could use the place and just ignore him.'

'Well, eh, yes. But he's so annoyingly arrogant! I rather stay down here so I can concentrate on my blade and moves.'

Robin was looking after the Swordsman. But turned back at Tashigi.

'You and our aloof Swordsman certainly seems to get under each other's skin! Which is highly unusual at least for him. He usually don't care about anyone but our Crew.'

'Well.' Tashigi mumbled, 'we'll stay away from one another. And I'll get off soon enough.'

Robin looked at her for a while then said.

'Yeah, that might be for the best for everyone. Even if I'd like back up on Luffy's pleadings about you joining our Crew. Come, lets go to dinner, Sanji's making grilled shark I believe.'


	3. The ManlyMens Movements

**The ManlyMens Movements**

The next day it rained but Tashigi continued her exercises on deck, luckily under a kind of big umbrella that the Sogeking and Franky the mechanic shipwright rigged up for her. She still didn't know what to think of the Sogeking, who apparently was called Usopp, but he seemed nice enough.

Around noon Tashigi was asking the Navigator about what she new of the next island when Roronoa yelled from the Crows nest that someone was coming from the left.

Nami started looking around for what he might have seen.

'Doesn't he know the difference of left and right?' Tashgi asked the Navigator.

'Well, he kind of dose, but he's oblivious to concepts like starboard or stern. Whatever he's seen is to his left, where that may be.' Nami answered.

'Ah. There it is,' She mumbled after a few minutes and then yelled, 'Looks like another pirate ship!'

* * *

Soon all on board was gathered on deck looking at a large ship with direct course towards them.

'They are coming to get us!' the Sogeking was yelling 'What do we do, what we do!'

The Straw Hat just shoved everybody his usual big grin. 'Let's set course towards them, Nami. It might be fun to meet new people!'

Most of the others seemed to agree and Chopper ran to his infirmary to take stock of his bandages and herbs.

In less than half an hour the other ship had got on side of them and dragged the two ships together with hooks and ropes. Then ten big men jumped down on the Sunny's deck.

They were only warring shorts and their muscles gleamed with oils. Nine of them started a strange dance with flexing biceps, triceps and wriggling six packs, while the tenth was misusing an old tambourine. The Straw Hat crew looked agape at the antics.

From behind Tashigi a small quarrel starting was starting.

'They're almost as bad as you, Moss ball!'

'I'm not he one who parades around on this ship, Ero-Cook'

'Well, you're the only one parading around half naked, stupid swordsman.'

'Are you getting blind as well as dumb, curly brows, I'm not Franky!'

Brooke the skeleton was in tears from the horribly music and the Sogeking and Chopper tried to comfort him.

Robin and the Navigator as just looking with open mouth and their eyebrows up under their hair, Tashigi figured that she properly was doing the same and tried to sober her face.

Then the nine flexing dancers stopped and the must bulging of them yelled:

'I'm Manly Mason, and this is My Most Manly Men Pirate crew! We challenge you to the Manly Manly Mating game!' Manly Mason stopped and looked around,

'Now, who's your Captain?'

Luffy waved at him.

'That was amazing!' Luffy exclaimed. 'How do you all know how to dance at the same time?' Then he grinned the Grin. 'I'm Luffy, Captain of the Straw Hat pirates. What's the Manly Musing game?'

Manly Mason squared his chest and flexed again.

'The Manly Manly Mating game, is the game where the manliest men of two crewz fight to either win the femalez of the other crew or to protect them. Az we challenge your crew, were going to try to take your femalez.'

'What!'

'No way!'

'You're not taking Nami-chan or Robin-chan.' various shouts from the came from the Straw-hat crew.

Luffy frowned. 'What is it that you're trying to win?' he asked.

'We're going to take the girlz on your crew, unlesz you fight for them.' Manly Mason explained.

Luffy suddenly looked very serious, the Grin was gone. 'But you can't do that! You can't just take them if they don't want to go!'

'Oh but we can.' Manly Mason smiled a lewd smile, letting his eyes wander over the Straw Hat Crew mostly stopping at the girls. 'Look up.'

Luffy and everybody else looked up, the other ship had extended a crane over the Sunny. The crane was carrying a big black bag with torches on.

Luffy shacked his head.

'So what?' He asked. 'I'll just get rid of whatever that is. Gomu Gomu…'

'No!' Franky yelled and grasped at Luffy's arms. 'That's Grekan Fiery, that is! That's seriously burning bad business, Luffy my Bro. I don't know if the Sunny can take it.'

Luffy stopped.

'Are you sure?' the Captain asked.

Franky looked towards the bag above their heads.

'I don't know, Luffy Bro, but I rather not we took the chance.'

'Ok, Mason. What's the rules of this game of yours? We better know now we're gonna win it!'

Manly Mason smiled evilly.

'Well. We decide from the skillz of the femalez, and then we base each contest on that.'

'So the girls fight for themselves?' Luffy asked.

'No, no. The Manly Men fight. One from your crew for each fight and he's the one who have to win! But the femalez can help their Manly Man, but then we're having the right to sport two fighterz on our team too! Now, what can your lovely ladiez do? I can see were having thee gamesz going on today'

'No, only two.' it was Roronoa interupted. 'Tashigi is not on the crew, she's not a pirate.'

Manly Mason shrugged, 'She'z here, whoever she iz, so you have to fight for her! Three girlz, three gamez! What about it?'

Robin walked towards the other pirate crew, standing beside Luffy.

'I'm a Devil Fruit user.' She said, giving a short demonstration.

'Aya! Brilliant! We're having a Devil Fruitz fight! What about the otherz?'

Nami looked around, looked at Luffy for a few seconds and then said. 'I'm a thief and a staffs fighter, but I don't think we have any other thieves on our crew.'

'Ay! Staffz it is then, or any other blunt weaponz fight. That'z a classic! Now, what about the last one?'

Tashigi felt how everyone was looking at her.

'Uhm…well I have some martial arts and I'm rather good at math and…'

'She's a swordswoman.'

Tashigi jumped a little looking back, but it was Robin who said it.

'Now let's get this stupid game over with!' The Archeologist continued.

'Ayaz! A swordfight. Lovely lovely. You have half an hour to decide who's doing what, while we place the arena over there.' He pointed towards the ocean. 'See you girlz,' he winked as he went back on his Manly Men Crew started working on a floating arena.

* * *

The Straw Hat Crew got together. Tashigi joined them feeling her cheeks beginning to burn. She had a very clear idea of which of them who was going to fight for her.

Luffy still looked angry. 'I'll take the Devil Fruit fight. Are you in Robin?'

Robin looked at the other ship. 'I really feel like giving those freaks a beating, so yes.'

Luffy smiled grimly.

'Good.' Then he looked at Nami. 'Hmm, it properly got to be you and Usopp.'

'What!' Both Usopp and Sanji exclaimed.

'Sorry Sanji, but you're kind of fight is non-weapon,' Luffy said. 'They'll surely claim that you have to use some kind of weapon, and I don't think your shoes count. But you and Brooke should keep and eye open and stay ready'

Luffy looked at Roronoa and asked.

'Zoro?'

'Sure.' The swordsman replied, 'But she's staying out of it!'

'Good!' Luffy smiled 'Now lest get something to eat so were ready, Sanji..'

'You don't have to! You all..' Tashigi interrupted. She stopped talking, looking down trying to suppress a tremble in her voice. The she looked up, shortly towards the scowling green-haired swordsman and then at the Straw Hat Captain.

'I'm not of your crew! You don't have to do anything for me! Why are you doing it?'

Luffy looked back at her.

'No one should force anybody to do anything they don't want to!' He said, still with that serious face. Then the Grin came back. 'Anyway we'll just make you honorary member of the crew! And don't worry, Zoro always win. Come let's eat! Sanji, Meat!'


	4. Devil Fruit Juice

**Devil Fruit Juice**

After twenty minutes and a very fast lunch, most of the Straw Hat crew and Tashigi had gathered in two boats near the floating arena.

'OK' Manly Mason yelled in a gigantic glittering cone. 'Can everybody hear me? Fine! We'll start with the waponlesz Devil Fruit userz, then the blunt weaponz will compete and last we'll get the swordfight. OK. The fight startz when the bell ringz, and endz when the bell ringz again. Ready? Now enter the arena!'

Luffy and Robin crawled on to the floating arena. Two men jumped on from the other side. One of them big and square as a house and with a grayish complexion, the other was thin but with broad shoulders and he had the most spiky nose and hair Tashigi ever seen. A movement to her lest made her turn her head. Roronoa had come to the side of the small boat. He was looking intensely at the arena.

'I don't know if this is good or bad.' He said.

'Luffy is usually the last we set in, in a contest like this….' The swordsman continued slowly. 'But it might be for the better… He'll be ready again if they try something after the games. I'm more worried for Usopp, projectiles are his forte.'

They both looked toward the other boat where Sanji was looking bored while Nami and Usopp was working on their various fighting devices.

'I'm fighting too!' was her only reply.

'No you don't. I don't need you to distract me.'

'A good swordsman don't get distracted by a teammate. And I have the right to defend myself.'

'You're not on my crew.' He just stated.

'Today I seem to be.' She said angrily, but he just ignored her.

Manly Mason yelled in his cone.

'Everybodyz ready! OK, Gruntheru and Bairy from the Manly Man Crew against Luffy and Robin from the Straw Hats. Steady, set, go!'

A large bell binged with a surprising light tone and the Devil Fruit opponents from the Manly Man crew set into action. Luffy and Robin just waited to see what the other team was up to.

Suddenly the one with the spiky nose, probably Bairy, seemed to disappear and Luffy was skidding around on the floating arena. Robins seem unsteady shortly but composed herself and grabbed her own legs to keep from falling. She even got Luffy before he fell off the arena. The gray-house man, Gruntheru laughed, he didn't seem to have trouble standing.

'Briku Briku Wando Wachsen!' Gruntheru laughed and a big brick wall shot up from the floor, separating Robin and Luffy. More walls shot up, making labyrinths and caves around Luffy and Robin.

'This is the power of the Briku Briku no Mi.' Gruntheru roared. 'Now I crush you Mr. Straw Hat!' The mass of brick walls increased.

'Gumo Gumu Gatling!' Luffy yelled from inside the brick mass and the mass seemed to explode, throwing blocks of bricks up into the air. Tashigi gasped watching the line of the brick projectiles as they towered towards the small boats around the arena. She Raised Shigure against the incoming wall, but just before impact she heard a small 'schting' sound and the pieces of brick wall splashed in the water around the boat.

The Swordsman had two of his swords above his head. From the other of the Straw Hats boats Black Legged Sanji seemed to have kicked any walls away. But there were yells from one of the small boats of the Manly Man crew and the broken boat scurried towards their ship.

In the arena more walls were growing, Robin tried to keep on top of them climbing with hands and growing extra legs. Luffy still had problems of keeping a steady footing.

'What is it with all these marbles?' he yelled.

Gruntheru grinned from behind a wall.

'That is Bairy of the Balu Balu no Mi, he can turn into ten thousand balls! You cannot catch him!'

'Robin!' Luffy yelled, 'Stop that marble-man! I'll take out the walls'

Robin stopped climbing walls. 'Ojos fleur,' she said as the walls build around her. Tashigi couldn't see her anymore. Luffy was stumbling around throwing pistol attacks against the Brick-man who countered them with more walls. Then Robin suddenly yelled from inside the maze like brick mass.

'Cien Fleur!' and hundred of hands sprouted from the arenas floor, all of them grabbing small balls.

Luffy gained his balance and fixed on the wall man.

'Gumo Gumo Bullet!' he yelled attacking the brick-man.

Bricks twanged from the arena again, just to be slashed or kicked away by Roronoa or Sanji. The Manly man crew had somewhat retorted from the battling area.

Robin seemed to have some trouble with the Ball-man. The balls shifted, zigzagged and changed size, but she kept them away from Luffy somehow.

Luffy's attack didn't seem to have any effect, the brick-man jumped into the air instead roaring. 'Briku Briku Wando Werfen!' and he threw a wall mass on Luffy.

Luffy crawled out of the brick pile. Now he looked serious again and was breaking his knuckles. 'I'm tired of this game.' He stated. Then he took a deep breath and said. 'Gear third!'

'That was fast' Tashigi heard Roronoa say at her left. 'Hope he doesn't smash the arena'

'Gumu Gumu Giant Pistol!' Luffy roared smashing a enlarged right hand down on the enemy, crushing through all the brick walls and knocking out the Brick-man.

Robin had gathered all the Devil fruit balls and was throwing them into the sea. This caused the spiky nosed Bairy to reassemble and then he was going under screaming for help.

Tashigi looked at Luffy, he had shrunken to a ridiculous childish size, but then he seemed to regain his normal shape.

The bell rang.

'Aaaaand the winnerz seemz to be the Straw Hatz!' Manly Mason yelled. 'Thankz for the lovely lovely performance from the Straw Hatz. Will someone get Bairy? Thankz. And we'll take a ten minutes break before the next competition!'

The Straw Hat crew steered their boats together. The first objective was to make sure everybody was OK.

Luffy was fine, Robin dryly stated that a single broken nail wasn't a problem. Then the Swordsman said. 'They are really bad! If this is their best Devil fruit users, this will be too easy!'

Everybody looked at the Manly Man ship where the half naked crew was bulging around. Those not working with the ship was training with weights, practicing various fighting styles or simply standing around flexing their muscles!

'I don't know,' Nami said. 'They could be some of those people who prefer using their own skills or praise the natural body.'

'They certainly look like that.' Robin agreed.

'But that's just stupid!' Roronoa answered.

Everybody looked at him in silence.

Sanji lighted a new cigarette. 'That's what you do, Moss ball!'

'You're not better, curly brows!'

'Nah, but at least I'm not confusing what I'm doing myself!'

'Shut up! I just don't see the point in weakening a crew like that!'

'We'll see what happens.' Luffy interrupted. 'Nami, Usopp, are you guys ready? Arrrh! Sogeking! Where did you come from?'

Usopp had put on a weird mask and Luffy suddenly seemed to think he was someone else.

'I'm here to help Usopp winning this fight! Don't worry Luffy! We're gonna win!' the Sogeking answered.

'Oh, that's amazing, but where did Usopp go?' Luffy grinned.

'Eh,' Tashigi started 'Luffy, isn't…'

'Leave them be.' Robin stopped her, and Sanji added. 'Luffy is really bad with faces, but Usopp seem fights better with that mask, so we let him, even though Luffy gets confused.'

'Are you ready great comrade?' Usopp the Sogeking asked Nami.

'As ready as I can be.' Nami answered.

'We're refraining from projectiles, but I've made some slime bombs and smoke bobs to throw on the floor.' Usopp the Sogeking then said. 'Hopefully that's not against the rules.'

'All the debris on the floating arena are helping too,' Nami mumbled.

'Wonderful,' Luffy said with his Grin. 'Well, they seem to be starting. Good Luck!'

Nami and Usopp the Sogeking entered the arena. Sanji and Robin got back to the Sunny in their boat. Luffy was hanging over the railing on the boat Tashigi was on and the Swordsman seemed to be napping.

Tashigi looked at the small Usopp and the even slighter Nami. Their opponents were towering up in the other side of the arena. They looked very much alike, both only wearing the Manly Man crew's uniform shorts and glinting muscles. One was holding a long black staff the other had two big batons.

'Don't worry!' Luffy said. 'Nami's really good with her staffs, and the Sogeking has a really neat 5 ton hammer!'

'And we're back and ready for the next game!' Manly Masons voice trailed over them. 'Let the bellz ring!'

The bell rang and the next battle started.

There was a short intermission when Usopp threw the first stink bomb. But after a yelling discussion between Usopp, Nami and Manly Mason, the bombs were allowed, as they were neither projectiles nor sharp weapons.

Tashigi soon lost any overview of the fight. Usopp's technique seemed to be a mixture of smoke bombs, stink bombs and oily bombs combined with silly faints and crazy joke attacks. But whenever he got a stroke in with his funny staff, it seemed to hit with the strength of a man of five times Usopp's size.

Nami was waving her staffs gracefully, but never using them to hit their opponents. But clouds seemed to dance around her and the Manly Man fighters was disturbed by freak winds and fog.

'Is she controlling the weather?' Tashigi gasped.

'Yeah,' Roronoa Zoro said behind her. 'It's her Clima Tacts. Usopp made them. She can even create lightning.'

'Amazing! That's why the Straw Hat crew is always leaving buildings burning!'

The arena was soon clouded and no one could really make out what was happening. But from the yelling and screaming and the sounds of hitting Tashigi surmised that the fight was still on.

Then somebody screamed high and shrill. The arena was silent for too long. The suddenly two lightning blots struck in close succession and a small localized but very dark rain cloud started pouring water onto the arena. As the water washed smoke and fog away everybody saw Nami dragging Usopp towards the boat where Sanji and Chopper were waiting. Tashigi hadn't seen them return. The two opponents from the Manly Man crew lay very burnt and very still on the arena.

'Mr. Manly!' Sanji yelled. 'The bell!' Usopp was till on the floating arena and Chopper was going over him.

Manly Mason gaped at the smoking arena. Then he waved and the bell rang.

'That waz very great,' Manly Mason yelled in his glittering speaker. 'Now letz wait a quarter of an hour to put out the firez and get ready for the next event!'

Chopper, Nami and Sanji transported Usopp back to the Sunny. Luffy and the Swordsman didn't make any attempt to move their boat, but Luffy looked worried after his Sogeking.

A few minutes after, Sanji came back in the other boat.

'Chopper says he's going to be alright.' The cook stated. 'And Franky and Brooke says they have an idea of dealing with that Grekan fire if it comes to that.' He added in a lowered voice.

Manly Mason was coming over to them in a glittering boat.

'Hey Straw Hat Captain! You never said how many sword fighterz you're using!'

'One.' Roronoa said.

'Two!' Tashigi corrected.

Luffy looked at both of them and started scratching his ears. He looked back at Manly Mason and said. 'Two. Now hurry up, it's time for after lunch snacks soon!'

'I'll go back and prepare the food,' Sanji said and turned his boat.

Luffy steered their boat close to the floating arena and Roronoa jumped on. He turned around and offered Tashigi an arm.

She looked at him.

'Just like that?' She asked. 'Luffy tell you what to do and you don't even complain?'

'He's the Captain.' The Swordsman answered. 'Are you coming?' She ignored his hand and got up on her own.

The floating arena was a mess. Piles of broken walls, puddles of water or oil or something nasty and stinking and there was soot everywhere.

'Don't loose your footing.' Roronoa said to her.

'I'm not a beginner!' She sneered back. 'I've plenty of experience!'

'The last time I saw you use a sword, you ended up in an alley with blood everywhere!'

'That was just bad luck!'

'Yes, or maybe fate. Don't bring any bad luck this time.'

He went to the middle of the arena and waited. She sat on some bricks nearby.

From the other side Manly Mason entered with the largest sword she'd ever seen and his loud speaker. Behind him a large man with absolutely no hair entered, carrying two ugly blades.

Manly Mason raised his arms and his whole ship whooped and cheered.

'Enemiez! Friendz! Letz begin the last game! Sword fighting!'

Tashigi got up, and readied Shigure, she shot a short glance at her 'teammate' he had also readied his swords. She could feel her blood rushing.

The bell rang.

Suddenly her mind was clear and focused. I've been training for this the last ten years, she thought, I'm not giving in to anyone.

She went for the bald man with two swords. Her whole focus was on movements and her swords soft hissing against the air. Her ears could hear Roronoa and Manly Mason yell at each other but she paid them no attention.

Don't fall, she thought. Don't flinch. Keep breathing. You're doing fine.

Suddenly she heard her name being shouted. She was kicked out of her steady flow and into a chaotic reality. She looked around and saw Manly Mason turning his attack towards her. She twisted to ready herself for a counterattack. And stumbled on something behind her.

She felt her foot skid and saw Manly Masons giant sword flying towards her.

Shit! Zoro's going to be so angry! She just managed to think. Then her whole world was spinning and she was halfway pushed along the ground. She felt like she was being caged in warm steel. There came a hard blow from one side and the direction was changed. Then every was rolling.

The movements stopped and Roronoa was kneeling on the ground holding her tight, still with swords in his mouth and hands.

He looked into her eyes and growled.

'I told you not to fall!' Then he sprang up and around blocking the incoming attack from both of their opponents.

She looked up at him. A deep gash ran over the right side of his back the blood spreading along his shirt too fast.

She started raising Shigure again, but she didn't manage to get up before Roronoa was speeding up his offensive. He delivered strikes so fast that I looked like he had several arms. Then in one single blow he defeated the big bald man and cleaved the whole floating arena. Then he turned to Manly Mason. The Captain of the Manly Man crew raised his enormous sword and whirled it towards Roronoa. The swordsman jumped in the air delivering a final attack and the sword of Manly Manson fell down in four pieces.

Sheathing his third sword and placing his other two at the throat of Manly Manson Roronoa sneered.

'That was a pitiful display of swordsmanship!' Then he turned his back to Manly Manson and walked to Tashigi.

The bell rang.

'You okay?' He asked her.

She looked at him. Blood was flowing from his nose and mouth and most of his shirt was wet with blood.

'I'm in better shape than you.' She answered.

'That was the first time... I've never taken a hit to my back before.' He just said.

Then there was a yell behind them and she saw Manly Manson running towards Roronoa with a dagger in each hand.

'I am not a bad zwordsmand!' The weird Captain yelled.

'Gumu Gumu Bazooka!' Luffy yelled behind them. He hit Manly Manson with one powerful blow that sent the other Captain spinning over the ocean.

Manly Manson got back to the surface and started yelling.

'Attack! Attack!' Then the Manly Man crew started screaming and attacking the Thousand Sunny. The bag of Grekan Fire was lit.

Luffy looked at Tashigi.

'Get back as fast as possibly. Gumo Gumo Rocket!' and then he was flying to his ship.

She looked at Roronoa again, he looked gruff and somewhat annoyed, but he was still standing. She got hold of the boat and waved at him to come.

'We'll never make it.' He said.

She paled.

'We can try! We must help them!' She whispered, 'Come on.'

'Don't bother, Luffy'd won that battle before we're even near the Sunny.'

She steered them back. An amazing battle outplayed in front of her. Pirates of the Manly Man crew were falling into the ocean all around the Sunny. The bag of Grekan Fire was nowhere to be seen, but nothing was burning.

When she and Roronoa got on board, the fight was indeed over. The Sunny raised sails and lest the Manly Man pirates to fend for themselves.

Tashigi looked around. Robin was taking care of herself and Usopp. Chopper was lying still on a madras. Franky was already working on repairing the ship, The Sunny had taken some damage in the fight, and Sanji and Brook had started cleaning. Luffy and Nami was probably setting their course, getting them to a place where they could repair and rest.

'What happened?' Tashigi asked looking at Chopper.

'He got rid of the Grekan Fire using his antlers to catch it and then he jumped overboard. Luffy managed to drag him back on board before he fell into the water.' Robin said. 'I don't know how, but he seems to have hit his head somehow. It's a mild concussion.'

Then she looked at Roronoa and pointed at a madras saying. 'But even if out Doctor is out, you shouldn't be standing there bleeding all over the place!'

Roronoa frowned at Robin but let himself fall down on the designated spot.

'Um,' Tashigi stated. 'I can help, I think. We have some basic first aid in the Marine.'

'Please!' Robin smiled. 'Chopper almost finished Usopp. The others and I just need a few band-aids. I can manage that but our Swordsman should not be left to himself when it comes to mending up and healing.'

Tashigi sighed, 'Why do I not have any trouble imagining that?' she mumbled. Then she found the clean water and soap and bandaged and went to the Swordsman. He was apparently trying to do something to his own back even though he had not even removed his shirt.

When Tashigi got close he looked up and said. 'I don't need your help.'

'Don't be stupid.' she just said and started dragging at his bloodied shirt to get it off. He let her get the cloth off and wash his face and wounds.

When she came to the wound on his back she frowned. It wasn't as deep as she'd thought, but it already has a nasty swell and a somewhat wrong color.

'This is not good.' She said.

'It is always dishonorably to a warrior getting a wound in his back.' Roronoa answered calmly.

'That's not what I meant. ' She said. 'It looks wrong compared to your other wounds. It should probably be stitched, but I'd really like Chopper to take a look at it before I stitch this!'

'Then just give me a bandage. And hurry up, I'm hungry!'

She frowned again. He didn't seem to be in pain so she patched him up the best she could and left it at that.

_A/N Gruntherus attacks are inspired from German:_

Wand = wall

Wachen = grow

Werfen = throw


	5. In sickness and in health

**In sickness and in health.**

That evening they partied. There was lots of food and beer and sake. Brooke was playing music and everybody was singing. They laughed and talked and ate. Even Chopper joined in, though the little furry doctor seemed a bit woozy.

Tashigi had never tried anything like that, not being one to go to bars with her fellow Marines or to parties on her days off. The Straw Hat crew dragged her into their warm circle and got her to eat too much, to drink more sake than she should and to sing, even though she new she couldn't keep a tune.

Sanji was all over her, making her blush with his comments of her courage and her wonderful first aid skills. He got her to taste the blue and yellow Song-Lobster dish she'd never dared before. And when he presented a large cinnamon and chocolate cake he started comparing it with the beauty of her eyes, it was not only the sake that made her blushing. Somehow a food fight started from that point.

Sanji was suddenly shaking a rice-ball in front of Roronoa and yelling a about respecting the food. The swordsman answered that the cook should concentrate on making better food, and then Robin introduced a sneak attack and got the cooks golden hair smeared with whipped cream. From that point on, everybody was on their own.

When the fight stopped she found herself in a giggling puppy-pile with Nami and Chopper. Usopp and Luffy had fallen asleep over and on the table. Brook had been inspired by the fight and started composing a song and Robin was laughing merrily in one corner. Sanji and Franky had already started to clean up, though it seemed that Franky was more eating the leftovers than cleaning anything.

She felt something touch her hair. Roronoa was pulling an arm back from her.

'Strawberry.' He said. 'Just the finishing touch.'

She looked at herself, she had been turned into a multilayered cream and chocolate pie.

Giggling she got up and helped Nami too.

'We should probably get a bath and then get to bed.' Nami said.

Tashigi nodded and went over to Sanji. 'Thank you for the cake, it was very nice. Now excuse me, the girls are going to have a bath before bed.'

The cook fainted.

Nami grabbed Tashigi. 'Don't worry he'll be fine. Are you coming too, Robin?'

They bathed and got into fresh clothes, Robin borrowing Tashigi one of her night dresses. Tashigi buried herself in the bed, full and warm and happy. They talked for a while and then turned the lights down.

After a while Robins voice came from the darkness.

'Luffy's offer is still valid. Now even more than before I guess.'

Tashigi turned around, starring into the darkness.

'I…I'm really thankful, and I like you, all of you. But…' she stopped lying for a while composing her thoughts.

'I always wanted to be a Marine.' She continued. 'I always wanted to help and to serve justice.'

'Your view of justice is not shared with many of the Marines.' Robin replied.

'I..I know.' Tahsigi said. 'But I believe in Justice, and I have to try!...And I have a dream of traveling around the world, getting the finest swords ever made and making sure they are used for good.'

'You could do those things with us as well.' This reply came from Nami.

'I know…I….I just belong to the Marines. I have friends….and there's Commodore Smoker.'

They were silent for a while.

'Are you in love with Smoker?' Robin asked then.

'What! No!' Tashigi got up wrestling with her blankets. 'I mean, he's old. And he's my captain! I mean Commodore…. No!'

Robin giggled and Nami snickered.

'Sorry!' Robin said. 'No need to worry, I was just wondering. You two seem very close.'

'Well…' Tashigi swallowed and continued. 'He's always been there, helping me. Yelling that I was as good as anybody. You know.'

The two other girls were silent for a while.

Then Robin said. 'It's always nice having one who trusts you and believe in you and who wants to protect you with all he's got.'

They all went still. After a while Tashigi heard a soft snore and then she fell asleep.

* * *

The next day the dining area was almost magically clean and Sanji was serving an exquisite breakfast. Franky announced that the Sunny would be ready for further travel the next day. Luffy complained that it was boring that they had to wait and Usopp asked him if they could go down in the submarine.

'You're not eating anything, Moss ball,' Sanji suddenly commented on Roronoa. 'Have you lost the last of your taste buds or do you just dislike my food?'

'I eat when I feel like it, curly brows, leave me alone.' Roronoa answered angrily his face was red, she'd never seen him red with anger?

Tashigi frowned. 'Damn it, I forgot about that wound.'

She got up and went for Roronoa's face. She felt on his forehead and then placed her hands on the sides of his neck, just under the ears. He starred at her as if she was crazy.

'Oh no!' She mumbled. 'Chopper! I think he's running a fever! I should have remembered to get you to look at that wound. It was kind of really bad.'

Chopper was at Roronoa's side immediately. Together they stripped the swordsman of his shirt before he could complain and removed the bandage. The wound was burning red with black staining.

'What did you do?' Chopper asked sniffing at the wound.

'Just the usual!' Tashigi answered, she could hear the shrill in her voice. 'I cleaned it thoroughly and used that antiseptic salve, and then I bandaged it up!'

'It's okay,' chopper said. 'You did well. This mess is poison!'

'Poison!' Roronoa growled under their hands and hoofs. 'Those bastards!'

'Poison is bad.' Luffy said. 'Can you do anything Chopper?'

The furry doctor smiled.

'Oh yes. I'll make some tests and make an antidote. And he's strong, he'll get though it. But.' Chopper looked at Roronoa. 'you are getting to the infirmary and you'll have to do everything I say!'

Nami and Sanji snickered and Roronoa growled. Luffy padded Roronoa on the head and said.

'You go do what Chopper say, Zoro. Poison's serious! Come Usopp, lets go fishing.'

Chopper and Rononoa left for the infirmary and everybody else went on with their routines. Tashigi tired to work with Shigure but couldn't concentrate on the movements. So she went to the infirmary. The Doctor was standing at his workplace pondering over herbs and vials.

'I'm so sorry, Chopper!' She said to the doctor. 'I should have gotten to you about that wound. Can I help with anything?'

Chopper looked at her a little nervously.

'No worries!' He said. 'You couldn't have known. It's a very strange fish substance.'

Then the reindeer smiled, 'Eh about helping…could you get him to drink the juice I ordered for him? And maybe talk him into trying to get some sleep? I really need to concentrate on this antidote and he should have as much liquid as possible to wash the poison out. And sleep wouldn't hurt either.

'Eh.' Tashigi said. 'I don't think I'm the best person for that. He don't really like me.'

'Huh?' Chopper said. 'What do you mean? He talks to you all the time!'

'Well... only to tell me to get lost or that I'm falling over my own feet or something like that. And he always scowls at me.'

'I guess he scowls at everybody.' Chopper said. 'But...he talks to people he like! He just ignores people he don't like.'

'I guess I could try,' Tashigi said weakly. Chopper smiled and went back to his worktable.

She went into the sickroom. Roronoa sat in the bed with all his swords looking very displeased. When he saw her he frowned even deeper.

She started biting her lips and stammering something but then she got angry. She squared her shoulders and went into the room.

Roronoa was still slightly pink and his eyes were shiny in the wrong way. She got the pitcher on the table beside the bed and poured the liquid in a glass. Then she pushed the glass towards him. 'Drink. Chopper says you need it!'

He scowled.

'It's terrible.'

'I know. Now, do you want me to force your mouth open and pour it down your throat?' She continued.

'This is stupid!' he answered.

'Yes! It is stupid not doing what you doctor and the Marine say! But I guess that's pirates as usual.'

He grasped the glass out of her hand and drank everything.

'Satisfied?' he asked.

Not really believing herself or understanding what had gotten into her, she just poured another glass and held it in front of him.

'You can't be serious!'

'Chopper said as much as possibly.'

'Not now!'

'Okay' she placed the glass on the table. 'Then try to sleep instead. Here, give me your swords!'

'No!' he gripped his swords even harder.

Tashigi changed her tactic.

'You can keep one, just one, in the bed, and the others stays in the room.'

The staring contest went on for a while. Then he presented her two of his swords and she placed them on the other side of the bed table.

'Good. Now get some sleep.' She crossed her arms and waited.

'Are you going to stand there looking at me the rest of the day?' Roronoa asked after a while. Tashigi looked around in the room.

'Of course not.' She took a chair from the corner and sat down. 'I'm going to sit here until you sleep. Now lay down.'

He sat stubbornly looking at the wall for a while. Then he actually lay down with his sword and fell asleep. When she was sure he was sleeping soundly she went over to him. He was still burning. She looked at the sword, Wado Ichimonji. He still carried that around, she pondered as she let her fingers running lovingly along the sword.

She went out and got some coffee from Sanji and a book from Robin and then she placed herself in the sickroom listening to the sounds from Choppers work on the antidote and the snore from the sleeping swordsman.

In the evening the Roronoa was getting febrile. He tossed in the bed swinging between hot and cold spells. She tried to either cool him down with cold compresses or keep him warm with more blankets.

Chopper looked worried.

'The antidote is finished tomorrow.' The doctor said. 'This is not the work of the poison you know. It's his own body fighting an unreal enemy. It's really terrible that you can die from that!'

Chopper stared at Tashigi, then he got back from wherever his thoughts had gone.

'We need to keep him cooled and we better keep an eye on him all night. You go eat and rest now, I'll get you when I need a break.' The doctor said.

* * *

Chopper got her out of her bed after midnight. She sat in the chair again watching Roronoa and the doctor slept on his worktable curled up like a cat.

She had been nodding off when a sudden movement stirred her up. Roronoa sat up in bed, starring at something far, far away.

Tashigi got the compresses and got over to the bed. He was burning again. When he turned towards her she smiled and pressed a compress at his face.

He starred. The he grabbed her and dragged her onto the bed and then he hugged her fiercely, pressing his hot face into hers.

'I dreamed you were dead.' He whispered hoarsely. 'You're not. Please don't be! Please.'

He continued hugging her and mumbling incoherent. She couldn't get lose, so she gave in and hugged him back.

What's going on, she thought. Why would I be dead? ... Oh! What was it? I look like one of his friends, don't I? He must be hallucinating or something.

'I'm not dead, I'm right here. Relax Zoro. Don't worry. You're not getting rid of me that easily. I'm not dead.'

She talked to him soothingly. He started shaking and she continued mumbling nonsense about swords and swordplay and the weather and the ocean and stroking his hair and his back and rocking him like a child.

He seemed to relax after a while but wouldn't let go of her.

'Zoro, Zoro,' she mumbled. 'You need to get back to sleep. Can you do that for me?'

He went still.

'But what if this is the dream? What if you're gone when I wake?' he whispered.

'I will be right here, I promise. Lay down, Zoro.' She answered.

He laid down but still wouldn't let go of her. She ended up as a kind of cuddle toy in the arms of a sleeping Zoro.

* * *

Chopper woke her the next day.

'How is he?' the doctor asked.

Tashigi got up, this time able to free herself from Zoro's restraining arms.

'He's too hot, and he's apparently happy that I'm not dead so I think he started hallucinating.' She answered. 'Is the antidote ready?'

'It's ready in three hours,' Chopper replied happily.

Tashigi smiled and went to get cleaned up at to get breakfast.

The mood was dampened at this meal and everybody finished as fast as possible. Tashigi hurried back to the infirmary. Chopper was stirring in something on the worktable looking intensely at a thermometer.

'Try to wake him, and keep him awake.' Chopper asked. 'He's too still!'

She went into the sickroom. Zoro had been red with fever and slightly shaking, but now he was pale and still. She almost fell running to the bed. She found a pulse and felt his chest moving as he breathed. She dragged him upright in the bed and tried to wake him.

'Hey, Pirate! Wake up.' She tried shaking him and pinching his ears.

'Roronoa Zoro!' She tried again. 'Wake up or I'll claim your swords and give them to someone worthy!'

His head swiped up and he growled at her.

'You wouldn't dare!'

She smiled as relief filled her.

'You're here.' She said. 'Now stay awake. Stay with me, won't you? Like I stayed with you'

'What are you talking about?' he mumbled. His eyes were already half closed again and he was going under.

The next two hours Tashigi said in the bed and tried to keep him awake.

She talked, yelled at him and even hit him a few times. He was conscious every now and then, but mostly he was plain out and gasping for air.

At last Chopper came with a syringe and a distillation flask and a candle.

'We just need this to purify, then it's ready. Is he still with us?'

'Barely,' Tashigi answered. 'Will he get better at all? It's very bad!'

Chopper padded her hand. 'He's strong and he's been through worse. This is just very bad timing. But in a few more minutes it'll be okay'

Tashigi smiled back at the doctor and they both relaxed and watched the purification of the antidote.

From the bed came a sudden gasp, and then Zoro fell over. Tashigi and Chopper were there immediately.

'His hart stopped!' Chopper screamed and started running around in circles. Tashigi stared at the Swordsman, then he caught the doctor in his circles.

'Finish that antidote!' Tashigi ordered, then she took a deep breath recalling her two lessons of heart-lung resuscitation.

Then she straddled the Swordsman and started pounding on the middle of his breastbone one a rhythm that somewhat resembled a heartbeat. She bowed his head back and breathed into his mouth twice. She continued with the pounding and the mouth-to-mouth breathing while Chopper tired to hurry op the antidote with sheer willpower.

'Is….it…ready…jet?' Tashigi gasped!

'Just one moment!' Chopper replied.

'Eh,' he looked at her working on the swordsman. 'You need to keep him still when I'm giving him the injection!'

'Do it…while I'm…breathing …for him.' She answered and continued her work, every time she breathed in Zoro's mouth she checked for a pulse that just wouldn't return.

Finally she felt the small furry doctor injecting something.

'Come on!' She said while pounding the Swordsman's chest. 'Come on! You arrogant, egocentric, stubborn, idiot Pirate! Don't die like this! Come back!'

Then she stopped. She looked at the man under her.

He wasn't breathing. Angry she hit him in the chest again.

'If I am to stay alive so are you.' She whispered and hit him again. Then she bowed down to breath for him again.

Her body was suddenly moved upright, still with her lips on the awakened Swordsman. She was jerked away.

Zoro sat up gasping for air and grabbing both her arms holding her a few centimeters away. He starred at her.

'What's going on?' He demanded.

Chopper was crying with joy and threw himself at Zoro. Tashigi pulled out of his grip and away. 'We were just trying to save your life, I hope you don't mind.' She said angrily as she untangled herself from Chopper and Zoro and left the infirmary.

* * *

Just outside she fell over something.

Luffy was sitting there.

'How is he?'

Tashigi got up.

'He's fine. He survived. You can go in and talk to him if you dare.'

Luffy the Straw Hat sent her a bigger grin than shed seen before and then he hugged her.

'Thank you!' he said and went into the infirmary.

She saw Sanji to her left and Nami to her right, there was other shapes further away. The whole crew was waiting for news.

'Stop worrying,' She said to Sanji, 'He'll probably be demanding food in half an hour or so.'

The cook nodded and left.

The rest of the crew went away too.

Tashigi sighed. Her glasses were in the infirmary, but she was not going back right now, that was too embarrassing.


	6. Defeating a Swordsman 101

**Defeating a Swordsman 101**

Tashigi hid herself in the gym in the Crows nest surmising that Chopper wouldn't let his patient leave just jet and the other crew didn't go there often. If was a little difficult getting there without her glasses, but she managed.

She went though the basic stances with Shigure, starting slowly and getting her speed of while scolding herself for being stupid: There is nothing embarrassing in saving someone's life. She thought. There is nothing wrong with using basic methods for keeping someone's heart going or giving them air. Why am I behaving like I did something wrong. I was just helping. And repaying that he got me a doctor before. It is really OK.

'You should move your left foot a little more back in that stance.'

She almost lost her sword. Zoro was standing in the gym looking at her. He handed her something.

'Your glasses.' He said.

'What are you doing here?' She said.

He went to his swords, took one and answered.

'Training.'

'But…but you were dying this morning! You just got out of the infirmary!'

He didn't answer her but went though a series of movements with one sword. Then he stopped stripped out of his shirt and stated fitting his bandages tighter.

'I need to start now. I'm not strong enough yet, and I'll lose time just laying in bed.' He got his shirt on and continued the swordplay. Then he took another sword and then his third. He moved faster and faster through his stances and positions.

'You're mad.' Tashigi said. 'I thought you were just set on your goal and really stubborn. But you are mad. Like Luffy.'

He stopped and looked at her.

'Luffy is the greatest man I've ever met.' He stated. 'And Luffy is going to become the Pirate King, and it is only right that he expects greatness from his First Mate.'

Tashigi shock herself, then she clenched her teeth and went back to her own exercises.

'Chopper told me what happened.' Zoro added. She stumbled in a movement, he was standing right next to her again.

'Thank you.' He said. 'And you really should move your left foot a little more back.'

She frowned at him.

Suddenly she realized that she'd never really thanked him for getting her to a doctor or anything the last few days. She felt her cheeks getting warm.

'Go back to the last stance.' She complied him and he pushed her left leg a little.

'See.' He continued, 'You'll have much better balance like this. Now move to the next stance.'

She did and he moved her into better positions. Then he got a chalk and started drawing positions for her feet on the floor.

'You have some bad habits. Probably from the beginning of you training, but you'd be able to get past it quickly. You've got flair.'

Then he went back to his own training.

Tashigi tired the floor patterns. The worst thing was that he was right, she did get a better balance. She got thought them a few times, getting used to just stretch a little on one way or bow some more in another.

'That's better.' He was standing behind her yet again. 'Now try to keep arms like this.' He reached around her and started mowing her arms in slightly changed positions and placing her hands a little different on Shigure. She could feel the warmth of him on her back.

Why am I blushing? Stop that Tashigi! She thought. You're a sensible grown up and he's a Pirate!

She tuned her head looking at him, a little surprised she noticed that he wasn't much taller than her. 'Why are you doing this?' she asked.

'I thought you wanted to be a good swordsman. I'm just trying to show you the way. See how you get at better grip like this.'

'But, I thought you didn't want to fight me, that you didn't believe that I could fight.' She said.

'I never said that. I won't fight you. Not yet, maybe not ever. But there's other reasons for that. Now try to use the stances.'

They trained the next few hours. He showed her stances, sword patterns and a few exercises to make her stronger.

'You're not bad, but you don't seem to know where you are.' He said when they were cleaning up.'

'What do you mean? She huffed.

'You and your sword fit together, but you don't feel the world around you. That's why you fall'

'I don't fall all the time.'

'No, just when you really don't need to.'

She started answering him but someone was yelling. Zoro looked happy.

'Dinner!' he said and started going down from the Crows nest. Tashigi stopped, deciding whether to leave Shigure in the gym or not, then she followed him down the ladder.

'I'm not clumsy.' She mumbled to herself, 'He's just seen me in a few really bad situations.'

She let out a yelp, her foot caught something and suddenly she was flying forward down.

Her fall was stopped just as it began. Zoro was holding her a little too tight. Then he looked at her, seeming somewhat unnerved.

'Be careful!' He said and started going down again, still carrying her.

'I can get down myself.' She complained feeling uncomfortable being in his arms again.

'Obviously you can't,' he said as he set her down at the bottom. He left her there going on to the dining area.

Tashigi hurried to the girls sleeping space to change her clothes and then she went for dinner too. She was met by the happy crew who drag her into their warm middle, Nami asking her about islands she'd been to, Robin continuing there outline of great smiths and artificers in the history and Chopper asking her where she'd learned to heal people.

Luffy was eating as fast as ever, but he still managed to tell her she was great and really ought to stay and Sanji and Brook was praising everything about her. She laughed with Nami and talked to Usopp about Sniper warfare, she giggled at Sanji quarreling with Zoro and she joined in when Chopper was begging Luffy to make rubber animals with his arms. But she went out for fresh air when they stated singing.

It wasn't a cold night. They were probably getting towards a Summer island. She sat down and took her shoes off, wandering over the deck and enjoying the feel of soft grass.

* * *

She was sitting down against the rail under the orange trees when she heard someone nearby.

'I've never been on a ship that had it's own Orange groove before.' She said.

'Oranges means a lot to Nami.' Zoro's voice answered her from the darkness. 'And I guess Franky thought that the grass-deck would match. The flowers are Robins addition.'

He went over to her and offered her his hand.

'Come.' he asked.

She let him drag her up and then he got onto the edge of the rail, dragging her with him. She felt the sway and roles of the ship more up there, on the small line of wood between the depth of the ocean and the soft green ships deck.

Zoro held her hands but started walking backwards on the rail.

'Try to feel where you are.' He said. 'Let your feet feel and get used to the underlay. Then feel the world around you. The air, the ship, everything.'

She walked with him, more and more sure on her feet, even on the small rail.

'You need to know where you are, to be sure on your feet and have balance.' He said. 'Now try alone.'

He let go of her hands turned around and started walking towards the mast. She swallowed hard and then she walked after him. She reached him at the middle of the ship, and he turned and looked at her again.

'Not bad.' He commented.

'I'm not a beginner.' She retorted.

The ship rolled.

She was hanging in the air her feet swinging over the dark ocean.

She crooked one arm around Zoro's neck pressing herself a little closer to his warmth.

Looking at his face she said. 'We seem to end up like this a lot lately.'

'Hmm? It must be fate.' She felt his voice through his chest as much as in her ears.

'You think fate is pushing us together?' she asked.

'Might.'

Neither of them said anything.

'Eh, you should probably let me go.' She said then.

'You're still hanging in free air over the ocean.'

'Um... yes. Get me on the deck then….please.'

He jumped back on the deck. Somehow the movement brought them closer together face and lips pressed against each other.

Suddenly he let her go. He stood back and looked at her.

'I'm sorry.' And then he was gone.

* * *

She went to the girls' room. Robin was sleeping and Nami was bowed over one of her maps. Tashigi tried to get ready for bed and relax.

Thoughts were spinning in her head.

What's going on? What am I doing? What's he doing? Oh no, oh no, oh no. I don't have the time for this. But he's really helping me with the exercises! Was he kissing me? Or was it an accident? He's a pirate; I should make plans of getting him to justice and not wondering what he's up to! What will Smoker say? Arrrrg!

She tried emptying he head and find some peace but right now she felt so alone.

She got up.

'I forgot Shigure.' She said, halfway to Nami halfway to herself.

There was light in the gym when she got there, Zoro was looking relaxed in a corner training weights and half sleeping.

She felt anger running through her. He shouldn't be so calm right now!

She strode in and got Shigure, drew it and aimed the blade at the swordsman.

'I said I wouldn't fight you.' Zoro said.

She felt her teeth grind.

'Not a fight. A test. I need to know how good I am. And I wouldn't try to beat a wounded man' She growled at him.

He got up, went over and selected one sword and then pointed at a large training mat.

'Don't hold back.' He just said.

She threw everything into the fight. All her old moved mixed with new stances. Her feet were moving by them self and she was not thinking about whether she'd harm him. He held against her, even though she got close a few times. Angrily she increased her speed caring even less if their blades cut anything.

Then he made a maneuver she didn't know and she found her sword's arm fixed between them and his sword along her neck.

'Not bad.' His breaths stroke her cheeks.

Then she pressed her lips against his in a kiss.

He went stiff but didn't stop her she saw a chance and snaked one foot behind his legs tumbling him down on the mat.

She straddled him holding her sword on his throat and gripping the wrist of his sword's arm.

Gasping she said. 'I didn't think that the man who wants to be the best could be defeated so easily!'

He just looked at her surprised.

She bowed over him.

'Do you give in?' She asked.

Faster than she could see she was flipped around Shigure shaken out of her hand. Now Zoro was on top but he had no swords, he just pressed himself lightly against her his head to close to hers.

'Do you?' he answered.

She didn't answer and he just waited. She suddenly realized that she could just push him away and then he'd probably go back to his training and leave her alone.

She noticed how he looked at her, at her face and hair and lips. He was warm and smelled like steel and swords. Her world started spinning.

This is probably the worst decision I've ever made. She thought.

Then she reached out towards him entwining her fingers in his hair. She kissed him again and her whole world tuned in to soft steel and kisses.

* * *

_A/N: I'm a strong believer in the creativity of the reader. I can write the steamy parts, but I rater keep it up to you. But you're welcome to with the missing part :) (and link me to it if it is good)_


	7. Happily ever after

**Happily ever after...**

Tashigi looked at the shredded pieces of cloth in her hands.

'You really believe that a sword is the best solution to all of your troubles?' she asked somewhere between playful and annoyed.

He looked up at her smiling.

'It worked!'

'You could have asked me to undo the clasp.' She teased.

'Now that would just had made things complicated.' He grinned and pulled her down to him.

They were just laying there, together. Tashigi looked around, there were swords all around them on the mat.

She smiled reaching out and carefully touching Shuusui. Other girls might get flower petals, but she was certainly happier surrounded by graceful blades.

'You know, Zoro, this was…I mean I never….' She tried. 'I'm just…'

'I guessed.' He said calmly.' Don't worry. It was my first time too.'

She looked at him perplexed.

'What? I thought…? I mean you was….' She blushed fiercely. And then mumbled. 'I've just been told that inexperienced guys don't know how to…well what we were doing…'

He shrugged.

'My mother was very thorough giving me 'the talk'. She took my swords to make sure I understood what she was talking about.'

'Oh…but you never?'

'Nah, haven't had the time, or met anyone.' He dragged her closer again. 'But we maybe we should go over all the movements and stances one more time, just to make sure we got it right.'

She wriggled against him.

'No, I'm still mad at you for ruining my clothes!'

'It's not that bad.'

'I'd like to see you try running around without pants! Everything bounces with no bra.'

He held her close.

'Heh, that's how we got Franky to join us.' He said.

'What? You running around without your pants?'

'No, we stole his pants. He was running through Water 7 stark naked all the way to the Sunny.' He was grinning, 'Yeah, everything bouncing.'

She started giggling and then they both laughed.

'You are all terrible!' She said when they'd finished laughing.

'Terrible, annoying pirates with no respect for anything.' She kissed him. 'But I've also seen you be honorable, righteous and helping people….and I really like being here, with the crew. And with you.'

Zoro was frowning at her as he caressed her face and played with her hair. Then he caught her head and kisses her deeply for a long time.

'We might go over you footing one more time.' He said as he untangled them at got up to find their clothes.

'Wha…what?' she stammered. He just gave her, her shirt and started getting the swords back to their right places. She got her clothes on and took Shigure when he gave her the sword.

'Zoro, what now?'

'I thought we could go over some movements. We're not getting better just lying around. And we'll reach harbor tomorrow at noon. So you'll leave soon.'

Tashigi felt something harden inside her. Something that had been silly and soft and pinkish got back to their normal perspectives and colors. Her mouth went dry.

'Yes. I know...Nami said that.'

'So.' Zoro continued. 'We have time make sure you're on the right way to correct foot stances.'

'Is everything in your life about being the best swordsman?' she asked in a low voice.

'Well, I promised someone I would be the best. But this is about you getting a little better.'

'You promised someone.' Tashigi echoed bitterly. 'That's about that old friend of yours isn't it? The one I apparently look like…'

Anger burned the last softness away. She forced the tears in the eyes away.

'You've had a nice ride down memory lane and now it's back to work. Right?'

Zoro crossed his arms and looked at her with a blank face.

'Swords and fighting skills with always come first.' He said. 'Now, do you want to train or will you just stand there yelling?'

'So this, this whatever happened means nothing.' Tashigi was trembling. 'Well I should have know better than to think a pirate would care for anyone other than himself.'

He didn't say anything his face was still blank.

Tashigi turned away from him and strode to the door. She stopped.

'Not everything is about you and your goal, Roronoa Zoro!' She whispered. 'And I'm nothing like your dead friend.'

She started down the ladder.

'No, you really are nothing like her.' She heard him saying.

* * *

She sat in the bath for more than an hour telling herself she wasn't crying. Then she got out, got into her borrowed cloths and went to bed.

She lay calmly in the darkness listening to the two other girls sleeping the rest of the night.

The next day Tashigi ignored everything to do with swords or any swordsman but busied herself with other things.

She helped Sanji in the kitchen, though it actually did more harm than good, as the cook got too distracted. So she went to Chopper sorting plants with him and talking about first aid. At last she ended up with Robin who asked Tashigi if she would explain the development of double-edged blades.

Around noon they were heading into to the harbor of Wingtown on Pidgin island. It was a beautiful summer island with blooming flowers and birds of very color flying everywhere.

Luffy was ecstatic with excitement expecting new adventures, Sanji started babbling about bird dishes and Brook started telling everybody of the amazing Bird Orchestra in Pidginbay town on the other side of the island.

Tashigi went down to the girls' room and got all her things. Robin had given her a pair of trousers and a shirt so she didn't have to use the ones ruined by blood. But her Marines coat was there and she put it on, even if it was a little too warm for this island.

Tashigi turned to get out again Robins stood in the door.

'I'm going to miss talking to you,' the wanted Archeologist said.

Tashigi smiled. 'I'm going to miss you too. I don't really now anybody else who's that interested in old stuff.'

They hugged.

'Take care.' Robin said. 'And remember you dreams.'

Tashigi smiled. There was a small bump as the Sunny lay in. They went up on the bridge and she started saying goodbye to the rest of the crew. She hugged Chopper telling him he was the best doctor she ever met. She kissed Sanji on the cheek, causing him to faint with an exploding nosebleed. She hugged Nami, Luffy and Usopp and let Franky tussle her hair and Brook place a kiss on her hand. Then she saw that Zoro was sanding down the stairs of the bridge. She went down and they just stood there looking at each other. He opened his mouth as if to say something but stopped himself.

She turned away from the Straw Hat Crew and walked to the rail and jumped down on the quay. The she went to find the local Marine office, not ever looking back.


	8. Doing Justice

**Doing Justice.**

After the trouble in Pidgintown with BirdOchestra and the race against the Groulbirds, the Straw Hat crew was back on the Thousand Sunny. They were celebrating their victory and the new loot with music, sake and as much meat as possible.

'I still think it's sad that Tashi-chan wouldn't stay with us,' said Luffy suddenly. 'I really think she'd make a good friend.'

'Nah,' Zoro said. 'She's a Marine you know. One of the good ones, like Coby.'

'Well, then we might see her again.' Luffy grinned. 'I'm looking forward to that.'

'I'll go training.' Zoro just said and left. Robin looked after him and after a short while she slipped out unnoticed.

The swordsman wasn't training when Robin entered the Crows nest silently. He just stared at his swords.

'Why didn't you ask her to stay?' Robin demanded.

'What are you talking about?' Zoro snapped back.

'Duce Fleur.' Robin caught the swordsman and went over to him. 'You know what I mean! You could have asked her to stay, Swordsman! If you had asked, she'd be here right now!'

'Why would I ask her that?' Zoro said angrily.

Robin slapped him.

'You love her, you stupid boy!' She yelled. 'I saw you two together.'

'There must be to many fairytales and myth in those old books of yours, Nico Robin. Since you believe that everything is going to get right if you just kiss the right one. Now let me go or you will regret it!'

She let go and he tuned back to his sword collection.

He picked up the Wado Ichimonji and looked at it for a while.

'I don't care for justice or good behavior, and I will follow Luffy to the end of the world as his First Mate and become the best swordsman in the world.' He said then. 'But Tashigi…Tashigi believes in justice and in protecting the weak and in the law. Her life, her friends and her dreams are with the Marine. Should I ask her to leave all that? To give up on her dreams and become a pirate, when all I can offer her is a third place?'

He tuned back to face Robin again.

'She deserves more than that. And the only thing I can give her is that I love to hold her and to see her laugh and to watch her dancing with her Shigure. I'm happy that fate brought us together, even if it was just for a while. But I don't believe in happy endings.'

Then he walked onto his training mat.

'Leave me alone, Robin. I need to be alone right now. I need to train.'

The end...for now.

_A/N_

_Whew. Finished! Yay!_

_I know that many things like probably have been seen before. But alas, that's the way with literature, we build our stories on those stories we know our self._

_I hope I managed to picture the characters and the world close to the original. I tried, really! And I'm very thankful towards the great people behind the One Piece Wiki._

_I've used some astrology to shape the characters behavior and interactions. Word of God is that Zoro is a Scorpio and Tashigi is a Libra. The Libra have a tendency to mood swings when stressed, just to explain how she can go from fluffy happiness and into a raging fight. The Scorpio is often very intense on it's goals and is unnervingly direct, but has very strong and deep feelings._

_I really don't believe that Tashigi and Kuina are much alike. They may have some of the same physical appearance, but Kuina seemed calm and well balanced but a little low on her self-esteem. Tashigi is more aggressive and less relaxed and mostly she knows her worth and what she wants._

_But I tried to show that Zoro likes Tashigi for being herself and not his dead friend._

_Sorry for not giving you a happy pink and fluffy ending. :P_

_I'm terribly pragmatic, and they are still very young and stupid...But read the next story. They might get together still ;)_


End file.
